Study Says A Third Of Parents Consider A Pet To Be Their “Favorite Child”

September 10, 2019 By

It’s no surprise that Americans REALLY love their pets — but a new survey shows that of parents of actual human offspring still list their pet as their favorite child.

The poll of 2,000 pet owners, which was commissioned by the pet food company I and Love and You, revealed that 34% like their fur babies more than their actual flesh and blood.

Seventy-two percent of those polled were parents — to humans — and the survey subjects revealed a fifth of those bought a gift for their pets more recently than for their children.

Two-thirds of those polled called their pet “their best friend”; 78% called the furry friends “part of their family.”

Sixty-eight percent of those polled say they can count on their pets to cheer them up — and let’s face it, that’s iffy at best when it comes to family and friends.

Forty percent say their pets helped them let off stress from work; the same number count on them to help them get over relationship problems; 34% say their pets have helped them through health problems.

Forty percent of the people in that survey said they consider themselves to be “pet fanatics,” with 44% of those fanatics admitting to starting a social media account for their furry friends.

Additionally, 41% said they’ve spent more money on their pets’ meals than their own; 40% of those say they share their bed with their four-legged friends.

“Pets are more than just a companion, they love us unconditionally and make us want to be better people,” said Lindsey Rabaut, Vice President of Marketing for I and Love and You.